Bottle-capping machine



Dec 26, 1922.

J. SHARP.

BOTTLE CAPPING MACHINE.

5 SHEETS SHEET 1.

FILED OCT. 30, 1918.

haw m a mww zme Deeo 26), 1922, v

l. SHARP.

norm CAPPING MACHINE.

5 SHEETS -SHEET 2.

FILED OCT. 30, 198.

II lulllllllll'lll'l llllllllllrll 5 SNEETS -SHEE'T 3.

L SHARP BOTTLE CAPPING MACHBNL.

man OCT 30. ms.

Dec; 26, 1922.

Dem. 26, 192230 1.. SHARP.

BOTTLE CAPPING MACHINE.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4;

FILED OCT. 30, I918.

Niki-2466 3. SHARP.

EOTTLE CAPPENG MACHINE 5 SHEETS SHEET 5- HLED OCT. 30, 1958.

mmmiumgw 27% HQ 0113a Fetented Dec. 263, 19220 UNHTEE JOHN SHARP, 0F GAKMONT, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNQB T0 ALUMINUM SEAL COM- ?ANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CUEFOEATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

BU'ELLE-CAEPPING- MACHINE.

Application filed October 30, 1918. Serial No. 260,236.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that JOHN of the United States, and resident of Oakmont, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, has invented a new and useful Improvement in Bottle-Capping Machines; and he hereby declares the following to be a full, clear, and exact description. thereof.

My invention relates to capping machines for applying and securing caps to receptacles, such as bottles and the like.

The invention is devised more particularly for applying and securing to receptacles flanged metal caps having a depending skirt or flange and a resilient sealing member, such as a cork insert, and in which the flange of the cap is adapted to be crimped around the neck of the bottle beneath the heading on the neck while said cap is held in compressed sealed position.

The primary object of the invention is to provide improved means for, crimping the flange of the cap about the neck of the receptacle in which said crimping operation is free and independent of the sealing compression function of the machine, providing lEor a more uniform and smooth crimp, and one which will be free from score marks, and which may be applied to caps and bottles having slight variations in size without the necessity of adjustment.

Another object is to provide positive automatic feeding means for feeding the receptacle to the machine, which is synchronized with the feeding of the caps so as to insure true alignment of cap and receptacle to pre vent clogging.

A further object is to provide improved cap-feeding mechanism between the cap magazine and the machine. A still further object is to provide means for maintaining a flexible compression on the caps to compensate for varying heights of receptacles.

To these ends the invention consists, generally stated, of a rotary machine which is designed for continuous operation. The filled receptacles on a conveyor and are transferred onto the machine by distributor mechanism which places the bottles on radially-disposed pedestals, which travel in a circle and carry the bottles in succession to position for receiving a cap and for crimping the cap thereon, the capped bottle being removed SHARP, a citizen are carried to the machine p from the machine at a position adjacent the entrance position by suitable take-ofl mechanism which transfers the capped bottle to a conveyor.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a machine embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view partly in section. showing a portion of the lower rotary part of the machine with the receptacle-supporting pedestals and mechanism for feeding the bottles to the pedestals before capping, and mechanism for removing the receptacles after capping; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view showing several of the radially-disposed receptacle-supporting pedestals, and mechanism disposed above the pedestals for receiving the cap from the cap-feeding chute for positioning and holding the cap above the receptacle preparatory to the cap-applying operation, said cap-positioning and holding mechanism being provided, one for each pedestal, but I have illustrated only two of the mechanisms to show said mechanism in the receiving and holding position, and the releasing position; Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 with the upper supporting portion of the cap-holder removed showing in hill lines the position of theholder just starting to receive a cap from the cap chute, and in dotted lines the positions of the holder when the cap is fully seated in said holder, and when the holder has opened to release the cap; Fig. 5 is an enlarged plan view of the cap-holder when closed; Fig. 6 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the aligned receptacle-supporting pedestals and the cap-applying mechanism, the section being taken at a radial position of these parts when the cap is being secured to the bottle neck and just prior to completion of the capping operation; Fig. 7 is a like view and illustrates the relative position of the bottle support and the cap-applying mechanism after completion of the capping operation; and this view also illustrates the relative osition of these parts when they have moved to the radial position just prior to the cap-applying operation; Fig. 8 is an inverted plan view oi? the radial crimping rollers for crimpin the cap to the bottle; Fig. 9 is an enlarge elevational view partly in section of the cap-feeding mechanism; Fig. 10 is a view of a portion of a bottle Fig. 11 is a vertical sectional view-showing the crimpingoperation; and Figs. 12 .and 13- are side elevational views of the cams for raising and lowering the receptacle during the cap applying operations.

In, the present embodiment of my inven-. tion, the numeral 2 indicates the base of a machine to which is secured a stationary vertical shaft 3, which forms the axle of the rotary part of the machine.

The i'otary part consists, primarily, of an upper and a lower table or framing 4 and 5,

v respectively, connected by a sleeve '6 which surrounds and has bearing engagement at its, upper and lowerends with the shaft. The lower framing seats onv the base on an annular bearing 7 and is devised to form the framing for carrying the receptacle supports, and for driving the receptacle-feeding distributor mechanism and other mechanism, all of which will hereinafter be ,de-

scribed.

The upper framing 4 is carried by the sleeve and fixed thereto, and forms the support for the cap-holding and cap-securing mechanism of the machine. The sleeve is flanged at its upper end at 8 which supports it suspended from a boxed ball-bearing 8 formed in the stationary head framing 9 of the machine; and said sleeve is splined to and is slidable in the bore 5 of the lower member 5 and has rotary bearing engagement with the base of the machine.

The head framing is splined to the shaft 3 and is adjustable longitudinally thereon. The shaft is screw-threaded at its upper end, and a nut 10 in the form of a hand-wheel engages said screw and is rotatably' con nected to said head by a flange or collar 11 which is secured to said nut,'the collar engaging an annular flange 12 on the head raming. A nut 13 also in the formof a hand-wheel serves as a lock-nut to nut 10. It will be seen that by rotation of the handwheel 10, the head may be raised or lowered on the shaft and with it the rotary framing 4, and in this manner I provide for varying the distance between the rotary frames 4 and 5 so as to accommodate receptacles of diflerent height sizes.

The rotary part, of the machine may be driven in any suitable manner. I prefer, however, to employ speed-changin mechanism so that the speed of the mac ine may be varied as desired. The numeral 14 indicates, generally, suitable speed-change gearing, housed in the base, and which may be any of the well-known types, and which is adapted to be connected to a motor or other power element by the gear 15 The changegearing drives a vertical shaft 16 journaled 1n the base and which has keyed thereto a pinhon 17 which is in mesh with a ring-gear '18. which is fast to thejlower framing of the rotary part. A second ring-gear 19 fast to member 5 drives a gear 19 mounted on a stud on the base, and which is in mesh with gears20 and 21, see Fig. 2, each mounted on a stud on the base. Rotatablewith'gears 20 and 21 are gears 20 and 21, respectively. Gear 20 shaft 23 of the receptacle-feeding and distributor star-wheel 24, and gear 21 drives a gear 25 which is fast to the shaft of the take-off star-wheel 101.

The lower member 5 of the rotary part forms the framing for carrying a circular series of receptacle supports spaced apart uniformly, which carry the receptacles through the machine. These supports comprise vertical shafts 26, which are s lined to andslidable in bearings adjacent t e periphery of the lower rotary part. The shaft is provided at its lower end with a roller 26" which rides on a'cam-track 27 on the base of the machine, the purpose of elevating engage with the cap tacles in elevated position while the cap is being secured, as hereinafter set forth. A like roller 28 is also provided on the lower end of said shaft for engagement with the cam 29 which is adapted for lowering the support and the receptacle at completion of the capping operation.

The shaft carries at its upper end a seat member 30 upon which the receptacle is supported. This member is splined to the shaft to prevent rotation thereon but'is free to move vertically, being resiliently supported on the shaft by a spring 31 which is interposed between said member and a collar 32, said collar being adjustable on the shaft so that the tension of the spring may be varied as desired. A washer 33 is secured to the upper end of the shaft which is adapted to engage with said member to limit its upward movement, and which retains said member on the shaft. To the seat member is secured a centering block 34 having arms forming a V-shaped guide which engages with and cente-rs'the receptacle axially of the shaft, and with the capping mechanism, and which is adjustable on the seat for various diameter sizes of receptacles, and for correcting vertical alignment of the receptacle with the cap-applying mechanisms of the upper part of the rotary member. The seat member is provided with a resilient pad 35, preferably of rubber, upon which the receptacle rests, and which serves, primarily as means to prevent rotary slipping of the receptacle during the cap-securing operation, and which serves also as cushioning means for the receptacle.

The receptacles are fed to the machine on an ordinary endless belt conveyor 36 the receptacles to which runs continuously and carries the redrives a gear 22 which is fast to the said-cam being for and maintain the recep- Lane,

gaged by a distributor mechanism which acts similarly to a watch escapement, permitting the receptacle to be moved by the conveyor only one at a time to a feed Wheel 24 which carries the receptacles into the machine.

The distributor mechanism consists of an oscillating member 37 pivoted to the frame at 38 having a sleeve offset from the pivot which carries a spring-pressed plunger 39, and has a finger 40 which is offset at the opposite side" of the pivot. A second finger 41 is pivotally mounted on the member and engages at one end by a slot with a pin on the plunger and is actuated by the independent movement of the plunger in the sleeve to serve as an auxiliary stop for the receptacles.

The member 37 is adapted to be oscillated to alternately move the plunger and finger 40 into the path of the receptacles on the conveyor to retard the advance of same, the finger 4O normally retarding the leading receptacle, when the member is rocked to the position as shown in Fig. 2, in which the plunger is out of the path of the receptacle and when the member is reversed the plunger is advanced and moves in behind the next succeeding receptacle, and the finger is retracted which allows the leading receptacle to escape.

Actuation of the member is brought about in the following manner: The member is pivotally connected by a link 42 to a swinging lever 43 which is pivoted to the frame at 44. A roller 45 is mounted on the lever, and engages with a cam wheel 46 which rotates with the feed wheel. The cam wheel has formed on its periphery a series of uniformly spaced camming faces against which the roller bears, being held in contact therewith by a spring 47 which is connected to the link 42, and to the frame of the machine. The feed wheel is in the form of a star wheel having fingers 24 which engage with the receptacles to move them into the machine, and the cam Wheel has the same number of camming faces as there are fingers on the feed wheel. The operation is as follows As the feed wheel rotates the lever will be moved by the cam faces of the wheel and through its connection with the member 37 rock it on its pivot, the releasing of the receptacle being eifected when the roller rides up on one of the cam faces which moves the plunger in and retracts the finger 40. The advanced plunger momentarily holds the advancing receptacles on the conveyor while the roller is riding over the top of the cam face, While at the same time, the conveyor moves the released receptacle into engagement with the feed wheel. If, however, when the member has been rocked to advance the plunger, and a are receptacle has moved abnormally so as to lie in the path of the advancing plunger and cause it to be depressed in its sleeve, the movement of the plunger in the sleeve Will actuate the auxiliary stop 41 and swing it in position to prevent escape of the receptacle before its time for entry to the feed wheel.

The setting of the cam Wheel with respect to the position of the fin ers of the feed wheel is such as to cause the release of the receptacle only at such time interval in which the receptacle will be engaged by an approaching finger of the feed wheel, and in this manner clogging of the receptacles at this point of the machine is avoided.

The feed wheel carries the receptacles to the machine confined in a semicircular guide frame 50 which directs the receptacle to its seat on the rotating pedestals, the timing of the movement of the pedestals being synchronized with the movement of the feed wheel by gearing above referred to, so that the receptacles automatically register with their seats on the pedestals at a certain position of the feed wheel and the rotating frame, and in which position the feed Wheel has moved the receptacle in engagement with a guide 51 which separates it from the wheel and maintains it in its position on the pedestal while being carried by the framing before it engages with the cap-applying mechanism of the machine.

The upper rotary frame carries a circular series of rotary cap-applying mechanisms, which are spaced apart uniformly and which are arranged in axial alignment with the receptacle-supporting mechanism of the lower rotary framing. Said mechanism comprises a sleeve 52 journaled in a bean mg 53 on the framing, and which has a pinion 54 which meshes with a stationary ring-gear 55 on the stationary head of the machine. The sleeve carries a plurality of crimping rollers 56. preferably three of such rollers being employed, and which are adapted for crimping the flange or skirt of the cap to secure the cap to the receptacle as the frame 4 rotates. These rollers are journaled axially, vertically. on the lower ends of swinging arms 57 which are radially disposed and pivoted at 58 to the sleeve. The upper end of the arm above the pivot poirit engages with a. spring 59 interposed between said arm and the sleeve and which acts normally to swing the lower end of the arm toward the sleeve. The sleeve forms a bearing for vertically-movable plunger mechanism which is central with the sleeve and axially aligned with the receptacle support, and between which and the support the receptacle is adapted to be clamped while the crimping rollers secure the cap to the receptacle. The plunger mechanism is also devised for effecting the closing of the crimping rollers, to permit the rollers to be moved by the springs 59 to engage the cap at the beginning of the crimping operation, and for spreading the rollers apart against the tension of said springs to move the rollers to normal position on completion of the crimping operation. In Figs. 6 and 7 I have illustrated in sectional detail the plunger mechanism, and the relative position of the crimping rollers when said mechanism and the rollers are in the crimping position, and when these parts are in their normal position, respectively. Referring to Fig. 6, the plunger mechanism comprises a vertically-movable non-rotary shaft 60 having its bearing in the sleeve 52, and carrying ,at its upper end a roller 61 which. is adapted to roll on a cam-track 62 on the fixed head of the machine. The lower end of the-shaft has fixed thereto a conical plunger-head 68 having its bearing in a counterbore at the lower end of the sleeve. The head is formed on its bottom face with a depression or seat 64 against which the cap on the receptacle is adapted to seat and hear when the receptacle is elevated. The head is counterbored to receive an auxiliary plun-- ger 65 which seats at its upper end against a compression spring 66 in the bore, and which normally projects by the pressure of the spring beyond the bottom of the plunger head so that its lower end lies slightly above the cap in the cap-holder. This auxiliary plunger is for the purpose of engaging with the cap when the cap is stripped from the cap-holder by the upward movement of the receptacle, and insures seating of the cap on the receptacle preliminary toseating of the cap against the plunger-head, and acts to maintain the receptacle tight on its seat during elevation of the receptacle by the cam track 27.

Means are provided for removing the caps one at a time from the cap-feeding magazine and positioning the caps in vertical alignment with the cap-seating plunger. Said means comprises separate like mechanisms one for each cap-seating plun er. Each mechanism consists essentially o a pair of opposed cap-holding jaws 70-71 between which the cap is held. The jaws are horizontally disposed and pivoted separately to acasing 72 carried by the rotary framing 4, and lie beneath the casing. The free ends of the jaws are recessed from their ends on the upper surface as at 73, which when the jaws are closed, forms an aperture into which the cap seats, the under face of the jaws being recessed at 74 to provide a flaring guide which'communicates with said seat aperture, and through which the neck of the receptacle is adapted to be guided to engage the cap in its seat. Jaw 71 is provided at its free extremity with a finger 71" which projects beyond the end of the body I 88. The groove has the shoulder 89 resents of the jaw and is adapted to sweep a cap from the cap-magazine as the jaw moves with the rotary part of the machine, and operates in conjunction with a part of the cap-feeding magazine for directing the cap into its seat in the jaws.

The casing serves primarily as a dirt guard for the cap-seating plunger andthe crimping mechanism, and said casing is provided. with the center opening 72 which registers with the cap-seat of the jaws when sald jaws are closed, and through which the cap and upper portion of the receptacle moves when said receptacle is elevated by the cam track 27 to strip the cap from the cap-holding jaws.

The mechanism for actuating the jaws to open and close is as .follows:-A lever'76 is pivoted at 77 to a lug on the casing 72, which carries at one end a roller 78 and is connected at its other end to the casing by a spring 79. A bar 80 is pivoted at one end to the lever, and has slot engagement at its other end with a pin on an arm 81 of the jaw 70, and said bar is resiliently connected to the arm by a spring 82.

The lever is adapted to be rocked on its pivot in one direction of its movement for closing the jaws by engagement of the roller with a stationary cam 83, as the framing rotates, and rocked in an opposite direction by the action of the spring 79 for opening the jaws when the framing has moved to carry the roller off of the cam. The opening action occurs immediately after the roller leaves the cam, thus permitting the spring to move the lever and with it the bar 80 to contact with the pin on arm 81, and swing the jaws on their pivot to open position,- both jaws moving in unison by means of the toggle-arm connection 70 at their pivotal extremities:

The jaws are held open by the spring 79 and remain openuntil the rotating frame has carried'the roller into engagement with the opposite end of cam 83 which depresses the lever against the tension of the spring 79 and moves the bar in a direction opposite to the opening movement of the bar, and

puts spring 82 under tension which causes the jaws to close. Cam 83 provides for closing the jaws just prior to the feeding of the cap into the jaws, and on completion of the closing movement, the finger 71 of jaw 71'lies in a plane to engage the end or leading cap in the cap magazine.

We will leave for a moment the further operation of the jaws and describe the capfeeding magazine and mechanism. The magazine consists of a head plate or casing 85 secured to the stationary framing of the machine and has the horizontal slot or groove 86 into which the caps are fed in single file by a chute 87 from the cap-hopper against eeaaee which the leading cap stops when in position to be engaged by the finger of jaw 71. lhe side walls of the groove are slotted or cut away to permit entrance of the finger to engage with the cap, and for exit of the cap when moved by the finger. The caps are fed into the head-plate by feed mechanisms which insures against clogging of caps in the chute and magazine, and provides for the positive feed of one cap at a time to position for insertion in the cap-holding jaws. Said feed mechanism comprises a pair of arms 90-91 pivotally mounted on a bracket 92 of the stationary framing of the machine and which are adapted to oscillate up and down alternately to engage and carry the caps forward in the chute, the downward movement being by gravity, an the raising movement by means or pins spaced on a constantly rotating element, which engage with the pivotal extremities of the arms and cause the arm to swing on its pivot and move up until the pin moves 0d the arm. The rotary element here shown is a worm-wheel driven by suitable gear connection to the rotary part of the machine.

I do not, however, wish to confine my invention to this particular means of oscillating the arms as the alternate movement of the arms may be eflected differently and actuated by independent power means. To the ends of the arms remote from their pivotal ends are pivotally-mounted counterweighted fingers 93 which project through a longitudinal slot 87 of the chute and constantly bear on the under side of the caps in the chute so that when the arms fall by gravity the caps which the fingers engage, and the caps in advance of the fingers will be forced along in the chute by the weight of the falling arm, said fingers tripping over the caps on the return or up-stroke of the arm. It will be seen that by the alternate movement of the arms a substantially constant pressure is applied to the string of caps, and in this manner the caps are positively fed forward in the magazine.

Means are provided for holding the caps in the magazine and allowing the cap to be fed forward to position to be received by the cap-holder only when there is a receptacle in place to receive it, the object of which is to prevent loss of caps by being fed into the machine when the machine is running with the cap magazine charged and no receptacles in the machine. Said means comprise a stop 94 slidable through the side wall of the head-plate which normally projects into the cap groove of the magazine at such location as to hold the leading cap in the chute out of range of the finger of the approaching cap-holder, and which is adapted to be retracted to release the cap only when there is a receptacle beneath the cap-holder. The stop is connected guide plate 1 which supports the cap to a crank 95 which connects by a pitman or link 96 with an arm 97 which is pivotally mounted on the frame of the machine. The arm normally extends through the 51 into the path of the moving receptacle. A. spring 98 which is connected to the pitman and the stationary frame of the machine acts to hold the arm extended. When the receptacle has moved to engage the arm, the arm is depressed against the tension of the spring which moves the crank, and the stop is retracted and releases the leading cap in the chute, permitting it to be advanced to the shoulder 89 by the pressure applied to the caps in the chute by the falling arms. Arm 97 is so disposed with reference to the head-plate of the magazine that when a receptacle engages said arm, the cap will be released and advanced to the shoulder in advance of the approaching finger of the jaws.

Reverting now to the further movement and function of the aWs when the roller is in engagement with the cam 83, it will be remembered that the finger 71 was left behind the cap, ready to engage it as the framing continued to rotate (see Fig. 4:).

Further rotation of the framing with the finger in this position carries the finger in contact with the cap and sweeps it along on a platform 85 of magazine 85, which platform is, in fact, a continuation of the bottom of the groove of the magazine upon which the cap rests. lhe platform has the curved vertical rear wall 85 which is so curved as to direct the cap into its seat between the jaws as the cap is moved by the finger along the platform. During travel of the rotary part, and while the cap is being seated between the jaws of the holder, the receptacle which is on the pedestal directly beneath the cap-seat is being elevated by the cam portion of camtrack 27, and when the jaws have moved to the dotted position X, Fig. 4:, which is the position when the cap is fully seated, the receptacle is just about to engage the cap; and during the further travel of the jaws while the roller 7 8 is still on the cam, the cap is being stripped from the holder and forced against the auxiliary plunger 65 whereby the cap is then held free of the holder; and it is at this period of the movement of the jaws that the roller passes off of the cam, permitting the jaws to open by action of the spring 79 and allowing the upper neck portion of the receptacle to rise between the jaws as the receptacle continues to elevate,.to carry the cap against the seat of the plunger.

The stationary cam track 62 has a camming surface so disposed in respect to the elevating cam portion 27 of track 27, that when the receptacle is at a point near the completion of its elevating movement, and

the cap is fully seated against the plunger, the plunger is permitted to yield vertically upwardly under the action of cam 27 allowing the crimping rollers which are normally held spread apart by the plunger head, as clearly shown in Fig. 7, to move in by the action of springs 59 and engage withthe cap as shown in Fig. '6. The cammingface of track 62 continues from its high point at which the above action occurs and slopes in an upward plane to a point substantially diametrically opposite the point of elevation of the receptacle and which represents the length of travel of the receptacle in the crimping operation. The sloping portion of the cam allows the plunger to gradually rise as the receptacles their travel in the machine during the crimping operation, the rising action of the plunger now being effected by the spring of the receptacle support, which causes the capped receptacle to rise in the rolls resulting in the rolls traveling in a spiral path around the skirt of the cap, and in this manner the full length of the skirt of the cap will be acted on by the rollers in the crimping operation. Cam track 27 has a lowering'camming. face 2'7 which is substantially the same as the elevating cam 27 but sloping in an opposite direction and is disposed in such position that when the receptacle has traveled the length of the sloping surface of cam 62, the receptacle will lower, being forcibly pulled down on the incline of the cam byv the roller 28 engaging with a cam 29, cam track 62 having a cam face 62 which at the time ofthe lowering of the support moves the plunger down carrying the head of the plunger into engagement with the crimping rollers and spreads the rollers apart to normal position.

Fig. 7 shows the lowered position of the receptacle, and as previously mentioned is representative of the relative position of the plunger and support when these parts are in the position 'of the beginning of the capping operation or just before elevation of the receptacle by the cam 27, and the cam tracks 62 and 27 each have plain noncamming surfaces extending from the lowering position to the starting position. These cams may have their camming portions arranged difi'erently so as to give a longer or shorter period of camming action as desired, and the vertical movement of the pedestals and plungers may be effected by different structure, and it is to be understood 1 do not wish to. limit my invention to employment are carried around in,

' supporting the cap of the cams as shown. When the receptacle has been lowered as above described, the traveling support carries the receptacle into engagement with a guide 100 which cooperates with the take off wheel 101 for removing the capped receptacle from the machine, the wheel transferring receptacle to a conveyor 102.

With a machine of this character receptacles may be capped rapidly and with absolute uniformity as to crimp, the compensating features of the receptacle support, cap seating plunger and crimping rolls permit of operation on receptacles having slight inaccuracies as to height, and as to neck diameter, and permit maximum speed of the machine in which alignment of the receptacle with the cap securing mechanism is not disturbed by vibration.

What I claim is 1. The combination with the rotary frame of a machine, of cap holding mechanism movable therewith comprising a pair of opposed jaws adapted to close and open for and for releasing the cap, respectively, a stationary camming member, and means connecting the jaws adapted to be carried into engagement with said camming member by the movement of the frame for moving the jaws in unison to closed position and operative for opening the jaws when moved out of engagement with the camming member.

2. The combination with the rotary frame of a machine, of cap holding mechanism movable therewith comprising a pair of opposed jaws pivotally mounted on the frame and adapted to close and open for holding the cap and for releasing the cap, respectively, a stationary camming member, and means connecting the jaws adapted to be carried into engagement with the camming member by the movement of the table for swinging the jaws in unison to close, and operative "for opening the jaws when moved out of engagement with the camming member, said means adapted for resiliently holding the jaws when in the closed position.

3. The combination with a cap magazine, of a pair of oscillating arms adapted to alternately move to advance the caps in the magazine, said arms adapted for maintaining a constant pressure on the caps.

In testimony whereof, I the said JOHN SHARP, have hereunto set my hand.

JOHN SHARP. Witnesses:

FRED B. VoELKER, F. P. MoYER. 

